Sunday, September 11, 2005

Another day in infamy

Hey...   Just a quickie to let you know I'm back home.  Have had a busy last few days and I will get you all up to speed in another entry.  I am too tired to mentally account for it all right now.  

I have been reading lots of entries today.  Being September 11, I knew it would be a day of reflection around J~Land and it was.  I am not going to say to remember this date because I am sure none of us will ever forget it.  

What I am going to write about is teaching our kids... or any kids about why it happened.  Teach them the history of it. Get it through to our children (specifically American children) because we do not really teach our kids about why things happen.  We just tell them not to forget...  

I am a firm believer that history repeats itself.  If you do not believe that, all I can say to you is go check it out for yourselves.  Read.  Study.  Because things happen in cycles...  

The hurricane that ravaged the southern states proves that, too.  

Seeing the damage caused because no one wanted to pay the $13-14 billion dollars it would have cost (at the time) to prevent this much flooding from occurring has proven to me, once again, that we are a nation of talk first, pay later.   Seriously.  

Even every day ordinary citizens, living paycheck to paycheck choose to pay the least amount now.  I have no idea why we do this to ourselves.  And we DO do it to ourselves.   

What happened on this date four years ago was not foreseen.  It was thought of, but no one really ever saw it coming.  Not anything like it did.  

We knew about Katrina.   

Days, weeks, I'll even say years, beforehand.  The states of Louisiana and Mississippi knew the (strong) possibility of levees breaking and flooding the cities could arise.  It was all too real and they have known about it for decades.  Yet, did nothing to prevent it.  

I know they are now.  

But, it seems to me that procrastination got the best of them.  So instead of paying $14 billion, it will be somewhere in the range of $100 billion.    And we think we are so smart.  

I was 18 days from having Grace when the planes were hijacked and used as weapons of mass destruction.  Yeah, I used those words because that is what they were.    I could do nothing but sit and stare at the TV.  And cry. 

I had to take care of my grandma that day and being senile, she had no clue as to what was happening.  But she felt sad for the people she saw running and those in the buildings.  

I'm tired of playing the blame game.  I'm tired of the wrong messages getting out.   

The terrorists did not do what they did because they don't like our freedom!  Wake up, people!  

They did it because of our foreign policies.  Period.   

Now we can go blindly back to being naive and believing that we are the best nation on the face of the Earth.    Or we can get real about the political issues involved and go humbly along, carrying our (proverbial) big stick.  

As far as progress goes:  It has been four years and we still do not have the man responsible for the crime against our country.  Sure, we have Saddam but he is not the one we are after.  He was the scapegoat.... and that seemed to have worked because I don't hear anyone protesting about not finding Osama yet.....  

After the last few days I've had, the only solace have been the citizens of our country. 

We are still and will always be a nation of the people, by the people, for the people....  

Cat

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for an insightful entry on this anniversary of one of the worst days. Maybe someday we can all get it right, and there will be no more reason for us to mourn, or regret our actions, or lack thereof.

Jimmy

Anonymous said...

Excellent entry Cat!  Excellent!

*hugs*

Anonymous said...

Beautiful entry, Cat, and so true.

Anonymous said...

You've said it better than anyone could have.

xoxo~Bernie

Anonymous said...

I did see that guy on the news who wrote about this happening in the future, really scary right???  Oh 14 billion 100 billion what do they care?

I'm so happy to know someone as open-hearted as you, Cat, you are a true gem.

Anonymous said...

The worst part about the levee in New Orleans is that they were given the money to fix it and they used it for something else!  No we will never forget 9-11 how could we.  And some of my kids will never forget it either.  But the others will need to be taught that our country was attacked!
Colleen  

Anonymous said...

Amen!
~Miss O